Re: LUG: Schedule for the coming semester - ideas - Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:54:59 -0500

Subject : Re: LUG: Schedule for the coming semester - ideas

From : "Daniel Underwood" <daniel.underwood@ncsu.[redacted]>

Date : Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:54:59 -0500

Granted, I'm kind of a "bystander" in this conversation, but just a
couple remarks.

> So, I think we might to better to (for example) lead e115 as an
> exploratory lab of Python or Ruby programming, including basic file
> operations, permissions, and control structures. A program to list a
> file-tree would certainly cover the requirement of file systems!

Keep in mind there's a ceiling on the level of difficulty for E115.
Also, the unstated purpose of the course is to equip students with tools
that will help them in the course of their undergraduate engineering
studies here at NCSU, not in general; in other words, it's mostly about
particularized knowledge that (theoretically) improves use of NCSU's
technological resources. I'm not saying anyone's ideas are bad, just
that they may be too ambitious for the course.

> Really, NCSU needs to re-think the way that our departments structure
> their learning to make it more informative and interactive.

That's quite a strong sweeping statement, not sure it's supported by the
present conversation. But I'm sure you have your reasons...
--
Daniel Underwood
North Carolina State University
Graduate Student - Operations Research
email: daniel.underwood@ncsu.[redacted]
phone: XXX.302.3291
web: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~djunderw/